Engine Oil Colour in Vectra.

[Dave Dew]

Today I was looking at a 2004 Vectra 2.2 Direct with 4800 on the clock. I
checked the engine oil level just after the engine had been running and saw
that the oil at the end of the dipstick was quite black. Dirtier looking
than my 10 year old Cavalier which has done 102000. The salesman said that
this was quite normal as it is was the first lot of oil in the engine.
Before the car was sold the oil and filter would be changed as part of the
Network Q service.

Should the oil in a new engine be black ?

Your opinions please.

Regards.

Dave.

 

[Malcolm Stewart]

Today I was looking at a 2004 Vectra 2.2 Direct with 4800 on the clock. I
checked the engine oil level just after the engine had been running and saw
that the oil at the end of the dipstick was quite black. Dirtier looking
than my 10 year old Cavalier which has done 102000. The salesman said that
this was quite normal as it is was the first lot of oil in the engine.
Before the car was sold the oil and filter would be changed as part of the
Network Q service.
Should the oil in a new engine be black ?
Your opinions please.

How do you know it's only done 4800 miles? I bought a car where the
(mechanical) odometer had been rotated in its holder, so when it should have
read eg 145678 miles, it read something like 034567. It was quite
interesting watching what happened when it "carried"! But I'd already paid
for it by the time I realised something that serious was amiss... I'm sure
there's ways of fixing the electronic odometers.

If you're in any doubt, I suggest you walk away from it. Vectras aren't
exactly rare, so why give yourself the worry.

 

[R. Murphy]

This is the bit where, cynic even though I am, I have bought 2 cars thru
network Q and found them to be straight-up. You can get the HPI check etc.
free as well.

My last one, I queried the mileage (6 months old, 2700 on the clock) -
tracked back to ex VX demo fleet.

While I am not happy with the fragility of the car overall (lots of
steering/front suspension issues fixed under warranty), never had any reason
to doubt the mileage.


NB anyone else with an '02 Astra estate where steering assembly, steering
pump needed to be replaced - twice?